To help guide the city’s work beyond day-to-day operations, enhance long-term planning and better focus city resources, the Plymouth City Council recently identified five strategic priorities for the coming years.

The priorities reflect the City Council’s vision for Plymouth – a city where exceptional living, stewardship and service come together. Adopted at the June 10 City Council meeting, following previous strategic planning sessions, the five priorities will help shape city operations through 2027.

City Center Reimagined 

Outcome: A vibrant hub for living, working, dining and recreating.

Strategies: 

• Create thriving spaces that integrate arts, culture and community activation.
• Encourage density in residential housing to support a vibrant mix of unique and diverse restaurants, entertainment, lodging and retail businesses.
• Invest in public infrastructure to enhance parking, walkability, biking, transit access, parks and public safety.  
• Seek partnerships that attract, incentivize and support development. 

A Connected and Thriving Community

Outcome: Residents have a safe place to live with high quality infrastructure and recreational opportunities. 

Strategies: 

• Encourage a variety of housing options for rental and ownership.
• Create opportunities for neighborhood scale commercial nodes and amenities. 
• Initiate a Complete Streets design approach to make streets safe, accessible and convenient for all users. 
• Adapt public safety services to meet changing community needs.  
• Enhance community health and vibrancy through parks and connected trail systems that foster interaction, connection and recreation.

Environmental Stewardship

Outcome: Plymouth’s environment and natural resources are clean and healthy for future generations. 

Strategies:  

• Integrate environmentally responsible practices and policies into city functions.
• Execute an Energy Action Plan and a Climate Action Plan. 
• Continue progress in the Green Step Cities program. 

Economic Stability and Vitality    

Outcome: A business-friendly environment that fosters economic opportunities and innovation.

Strategies: 

• Promote business retention and expansion. 
• Support workforce availability through access to housing, transportation and education.
• Continue long range financial forecasting to prepare for future changes and growth. 
• Promote Plymouth’s businesses, attractions, events, dining, hotels and recreation opportunities. 
• Advance a transportation and infrastructure system that supports the local economy.

Operational Excellence 

Outcome: A community where residents choose to live, businesses choose to grow, employees choose to work and visitors choose to return.

Strategies: 

• Ensure changes and growth in city services and amenities are balanced with the financial impact on the city’s current and future taxpayers. 
• Preserve Plymouth’s identity and invest in arts, culture and community engagement to celebrate what makes Plymouth unique while also embracing progress.
• Continue investments to ensure staff have equitable and competitive pay and benefits to attract and retain a highly productive workforce.
• Develop policies, training, programs and initiatives related to enhancing a workplace culture aligned with the city’s CIVIC Values (Customer Focus, Integrity, Visionary, Inclusion and Connection).
• Deliver excellent and responsive customer service across all city functions.

Executive Summary

The City of Plymouth functions in a multijurisdictional environment and is often subject to mandates from the State of Minnesota, Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council. The city participates in the Municipal Legislative Commission, League of Minnesota Cities, Metro Cities, Suburban Transit Association, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, and Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association and generally supports their legislative platforms. This legislative agenda is intended to advocate specifically for the community’s residents and businesses, avoid duplication of services, and enable the city to govern itself.

Plymouth supports the following legislative priorities:

• Local Sales Tax: The city requests authorization to conduct a referendum to propose a local sales tax to support regional projects at City Center and recreational amenities in the community. (State of Minnesota)

• City Center Bonding Request: The city requests $26 million in state bond funds for enhancements to Plymouth City Center to support regional tourism, Bus Rapid Transit, as well as multimodal transportation, including improvements for pedestrians and cyclists. (State of Minnesota)

• Highway 55 Bus Rapid Transit: The city supports efforts to complete a Highway
  55 Mobility Study to consider advancing bus rapid transit on Highway 55. (Hennepin County, State of Minnesota, and the Metropolitan Council)

• Economic Development Tools: The city supports funding of the State JCF (Job
  Creation Fund) and MIF (Minnesota Investment Fund) to allow opportunities for business development and job creation, and further encourage economic development. (State of Minnesota)

• Lodging Tax: The city seeks additional legislation to remove the 10-year expiration date of 2030 on the special lodging tax granted to the City of Plymouth to pay for recreational facilities, including the Plymouth Community Center, which has a 20-year term on debt repayment. (State of Minnesota)

• Pooled Tax Increment Financing/Affordable Housing Trust Fund: The city supports general legislation allowing the transfer of pooled tax increment financing funds into an Affordable Housing Trust Fund. In 2021, the cities of Minnetonka, Richfield and St. Louis Park received special legislation for this purpose. The city believes this tool should be available to more communities to help address affordable housing needs. (State of Minnesota)